Trombone-support.



G. MARTENS.v

TROMBONE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1917.

Patented Feb. 5,1918,

. m VENTOR Gaoye Mariam u vml A TTUR/VEVS GEORGE MARTENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TROMBONE-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

Application filed March 30, 1917. Serial No. 158,666.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MAR'mNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Trombone-Support, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to musical brass instruments, and its object is to provide a new and improved trombone support for convenient attachment to a sliding trombone, and arranged to support most of the weight of the instrument in the palm of the left hand of the player and to distribute the grip of the left hand equally to the several fingers thereof to enable the player to firmly support and grip the trombone without producing undue fatigue. Another object is to reinforce the cross brace between the upper and lower members of the stationary slide to prevent binding of the movable slide on the stationary slide. Another object is to protect the little finger of the left hand from being pinched when moving the movable slide to rearmost or first position. Another object is to permit of readily attaching the support to trombones having tubes of different diameters.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of a handle extending between the parallel members of the stationary slide of the trombone and having at its lower end a palm rest extending on the m- .ner side of the lower slide member and a distance below the same. Use is also made of open finger holds on the forward side of the handle for engagement by the second and third fingers of the left hand of the player, and a forward extension on the lower portion of the handle for the little finger to rest on, the extension overlying the stop on the lower member of the stationary slide to limit the return movement of the movable slide without the latter pinching the little finger.

A practical embodiment of themvention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, n which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the support as applied to a slide tromboney Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the support;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 4- of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a reduced plan view of the support with the sections thereof swung into extended position;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the means for preventing the screw from being accidentally detached; and Fig. 7 is a detail of the screw and locking pin.

The slide trombone shown in Fig. 1 consists essentially of the usual bell 10 having its return bend 11 provided with a socket 12 connected by a cross brace 13 with the bell, and the said socket 12 is frictionally engaged by the rear end of the lower member 14 of the stationary slide, and the said lower stationary slide member 14 is connected by a cross brace 15 with the upper member 16 of the stationary slide. The up per member 16 is provided with the usual mouthpiece 17, and on the members let and 16 of the stationary slide are mounted the members 18 and 19 of the movable slide, the members 18 and 19 being connected with the usual cross brace and handle 20 adapted to be engaged by the right hand of the player to move the movable slide to the desired position while playing on the instrument.

The trombone support is in the form of a handle located in front of the cross brace 15 and extending between the mem bers 14 and 16 of the stationary slide. The handle 30 is made of an outer section 31 and an inner section 32, the sections being connected with each other at their upper ends by a hinge 33 having its leaves 34 extending around the upper member 16 of the stationary slide. The sections 31 and 32 are adapted to be fastened together by a screw 3'3 extendin transversel through the member 31 and screwing in the member 32, as plainly indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The screw 35 is held from becoming accidentally detached from the section 31 by a retaining pin 36 fixed in the member 31 and engaging a reduced portion 37 formed on the screw 35, as plainly shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7.

On the opposite faces of the handle sections 31 and 32 are secured metal plates 40 and 41 terminating at the ends adjacent the hinge 33 in clamping members 42 and 43 adapted to clamp the upper member 16 of the stationary slide. The lower ends of the plates 40 and ll are provided with similar clamping members 44 and 45 adapted to clampingly engage the lower member let of the stationary slide. The plates 40 and 11 are further provided with side 'ise and rearwardly extending clamping members ltl and 1-? adapted to clampingly engage the cross brace 15. The clamping members 44: and 13 are preferably single-pointed while the clamping members 42 and 4-5 are provided with two points between which extend the single points of the clamping members 1-?! and when the support is in position, thus insuring a firm gripping of the lower and upper members 1st and 16 of the stationary slide. The clamping member 16 is preferably three-pointed and the clamping mem her a? is two-pointed with the points alternating with the points of the clamping member 16 to insure a firm grip on the cross brace 15. The clamping members 42, 43, 44,

15, 4:6 and 17 are preferably lined with cork or a similar soft material to prevent marring of the members 1% and 16, and the cross brace of the stationary slide. A joint tiller of cork or other suitable material overlies one of the plates it), 41 to provide a smooth joint between the sections 31 and 32 when the support is in position on the trombone.

The front of the handle is provided with two open finger holds 50, 51 arranged one above the other and of which the uppermost is adapted to be engaged by the second finger of the left hand while the other finger hold 51 is engaged by the third finger of the left hand. The lower portion of the handle 30 is provided with a forward extension 52 adapted to form a rest for the little finger of the left hand, and this extension 52 overlies and projects forwardly beyond the usual stop 53 formed on the lower member 14 of the stationary slide to limit the rearward movement of the movable slide by the end of the lower member 18 of this slide abutting against the stop 53. lhus it will be noticed that when the movable slide is moved rearward to its extreme position the rear end of the member 18 of the movable slide is not liable to pinch the little finger as is sometimes the case with troinbones when supported in the ordinary manner. It is understood that the extension 52 forms parts of both sections 31 and 32, as plainly indicated in Fig. 5. In using the instrument the second finger of the right hand comes in contact with the extension 52 andthus acts as a buffer to prevent in ury to the lip of the player at the time the slide is forcibly moved back.

From the lower end of the inner section 32 of the handle 30 de ends a palm rest 60 ada ted to be seated in the alm of the left hand. and extending a short distance below the lower member 14 of the stationary slide. The palm rest 60 is shaped to snugly fit into the palm of the left hand so that practically the entire weight of the instrument rests in the palm of the hand instead of being supported by the fingers thereof. By providing, however, the finger holds 50 and 51 together with the extension 52, the player obtains a firm grip on the handle to hold the trombone in the correct position for playing.

hen the screw is removed, the sections 31 and 32 can be readily opened to permit of conveniently placing the handle in position over the upper member 16 adjacent the brace 15, and by then closing the sections 31 and 32 and inserting the screw 35 the sections are closed and their pairs of clamping members 412, 43, a l, and 46, 4-7 clampingly engage the members 16 and 14: and the cross brace 15 to securely hold the support in position on the trombone.

In order to support the instrument the palm-rest is seated in the palm of the left hand and the player engages the thumb. of this hand with the cross brace 13 and the forefinger is engaged with the top of the upper member 16 of the stationary slide adj acent the mouthpiece 17, and the second and third fingers of the left hand are engaged with the finger holds 50, 51, and the little finger is rested on the extension 52, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be noticed that when the handle is in position on the instrument it forms abrace and thus reinforces the cross brace to insure proper movement of the movable slide without danger of binding, as the hand moving the slide does not always push the same in a line parallel to its proper plane of movement. The clamping members -12, e3, 11, a5, 46, -17 on account of being of spring material readily embrace the members 16 and ll and the cross brace 15 of different diameters thus permitting use of the support on instruments on which the tubing slightly varies.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A trombone support, comprising a halldle made in sections adapted to be fastened to the cross brace of the stationary slide and having a palm-rest on its lower end adapted to be seated in the palm of the hand of the i player.

2. A trombone support, comprising a handle extending between the parallel members of the stationary slide, the handle having spaced finger holds, and a palm rest extending below the lower slide member and adapted to rest in the palm of the hand.

3. A trombone support, comprising a handle extending between the parallel members of the stationary slide of the trombone and provided at the front with spaced open finger holds adapted to be engaged by the second and third fingers of the players hand, and a forward extension on the lower end of the handle above the lower slide member and adapted to be engaged by the little finger of the player.

4. A trombone support, comprising a handle extending between the parallel members of the stationary slide of the trombone and provided at the front with spaced open finger holds adapted to be engaged by the second and third fingers of the players hand, a forward extension on the lower end of the handle above the lower slide member and adapted to be engaged by the little finger of the player, and a palm rest on the lower end of the handle and extending below the lower stationary slide member.

5. A trombone support, comprising a handle extending between the parallel members of the stationary slide of the trombone and provided at the front with spaced open finger holds adapted to be engaged by the second and third fingers of the players hand, and a forward extension on the lower end of the handle above the lower slide member and adapted to be engaged by the little finger of the player, the said extension overlying the back stop of the movable slide.

6. A trombone support, comprising a handle made in sections, clamping means on the said sections shaped to engage the upper and lower members of the stationary slide of the trombone and the cross-brace connecting the said slide members, the handle extending in front of the said cross brace and being provided with finger holds for engagement by the second and third fingers of the left hand of the player, the handle having at its lower end a forward extension overlying the back stop of the lower slide member, and a palm rest onthe inner side of the lower end of the handle and extending below the lower stationary slide member.

7. A trombone support, comprising a handle made in sections, clamping means on the said sections adapted to engage the upper and lower members of the stationary slide of the trombone and the cross brace connecting the said slide members with each other, the handle extending in front of the said cross brace and being provided with finger holds for engagement by the second and third fingers of the left hand of the player, the handle having at its lower end a forward extension overlying the back stop of the lower slide member, and a palm rest on the inner side of the lower end of the handle extending below the lower stationary slide member, the said palm rest merging with the said forward extension.

8. A trombone support, comprising a handle made with outer and inner sections connected with each other at the top by a hinge, the leaves of which inclose the top member of the stationary trombone slide, fastening means fastening the sections together, the said handle extending between the upper and lower members of the stationary trombone slide and in front of the cross brace connecting the said stationary slide members with each other, the said handle sections having padded spring clamping members adapted to grip the said upper and lower slide members and the said cross brace, the front of the handle having open finger holds for the second and third fingers of the left hand of the player, a forward extension on the lower end of the handle and adapted to be engaged by the little finger of the left hand of the player, the said extension overlying the back stop on the lower stationary slide member, and a palm rest on the lower end of the inner handle member and extending below the lower stationary slide member.

9. A trombone support, comprising a handle made with outer and inner sections connected with each other at the top by a hinge, the leaves of which inclose the top member of the stationary trombone slide, fastening means fastening the sections together, the said handle extending between the upper and lower members of the stationary trombone slide and in front of the cross brace connecting the said stationary slide members with each other, the said handle sections having padded spring clamping members adapted to grip the said upper and lower slide members and the said cross brace, the front of the handle having open finger holds for the second and third fingers of the left hand of the player, a forward extension on the lower end of the handle and adapted to be engaged by the little finger of the left hand of the player, the said extension overlying the back stop on the lower stationary slide member, a palm rest on the lower end of the inner handle member and extending below the lower stationary slide member, and a filling between the opposite faces of the handle sections.

GEORGE MARTENS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. 0. 

